Rice Owls to Battle Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston

As the Rice Owls prepare to face off against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Tudor Fieldhouse, fans are eager to see if their team can capitalize on their recent performances. The upcoming game is a chance for the Owls to prove that they can maintain their momentum and continue improving as a cohesive unit.

Looking back at Rice's recent games, there's a pattern of resilience and potential that could spell trouble for MTU. On January 6, despite falling short by six points in an overtime thriller against Louisiana Tech Bulldogs with an 82-88 loss, the RICE team showed they could keep pace with high-scoring opponents. They managed to sink 42 percent of their three-point attempts and fought hard on defense with five steals and three blocks.

In another close encounter on December 31 against UTEP Miners, RICE emerged victorious in overtime with a score of 72-67. Their tenacity was evident as they outrebounded UTEP by matching them with 44 rebounds each but excelled in fast-break points (14) and second-chance points (14). This ability to capitalize on turnovers could be pivotal against MTU.

The game before that saw RICE secure an impressive win over Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on December 30, scoring an outstanding 81 points. Their field goal percentage stood at nearly 40 percent overall, but it was from beyond the arc where they shone brightly hitting over 41 percent of their shots from downtown.

The Owls have shown they can compete both inside the paint and from long range; however, turnovers seem to be their Achilles' heel. With double-digit turnovers in each of these games, ball security will undoubtedly be a focus area for improvement.

On the other side of the court stands MTU who will not make things easy for RICE. The Blue Raiders are known for being scrappy competitors who won't back down easily. However, if Rice continues its trend of strong three-point shooting and tightens up ball handling while maintaining aggressive rebounding efforts led by key players stepping up when it counts most – victory is within reach.

Fans should mark their calendars for January 11 at Tudor Fieldhouse where tip-off is set for 7:00 PM local time (Houston). Those unable to attend can catch all the action live via ESPN+ online broadcast network – ensuring no one misses what promises to be an enthralling matchup between two determined teams vying for conference supremacy.